A MASQUERADE BALL MEME

[resubmit]

A MASQUERADE BALL MEME

MASQUERADE! Hide your face so the world will never find you! Time to go to the ball! Early or late, the food is exquisite, the music is an endless dream and the tide of taffeta creates the most wonderful masks on all your fellow ball-goers. Are you here to find true love, to dance, or just for the incredible food? Perhaps you'll meet "the One"! RULES • Leave a comment with your character's name and fandom. • RNG for a number between 1-10 to get your options. Mix and match! • Have fun!

SCENARIOS 001 DANCING | One person asks another to dance. 002 MINGLING | Chatting in one of the lavish rooms or in the gardens. 003 NIBBLES | Ah, the fated moment your eyes first meet ... over the creampuff puddings. 004 LOST | The castle is huge! One person is lost, the other knows where the ball is. 005 MIDNIGHT | The clock has struck, your clothes have turned to rags! 006 KEEPSAKE | It might not be a glass slipper but someone has lost something and you're here to return it. 007 PUNCHLINE | Spilling punch all over the other person, whether by accident or out of nerves. 008 LIVERIED | Ball? You're here to work! Who else is going to clean up the sick on those rose bushes? Tsk. 009 UNDRESSED | Take off the mask. 010 WILD CARD | Choose your own type of encounter! (by sockle)

Comments

[burninghands]

"Potential, perhaps," he conceded, sounding unimpressed. He waved a hand dismissively, and the rings he wore caught the light. One was a family signet, but the other bore the unmistakable symbol of the Black Hand, marking him as a servant of the dark god. He never went out of his way to hide what he was. It would be an insult to his master to do so, but the ring was at least more subtle than the black and red armor he wore on the battlefield.

Mishal smiled at the interest he saw in Caleb's eyes. Nope. The wizard wasn't getting away from him now.

"I can show you the way," he offered, making it sound more like a certainty than a proposal.

[selfburn]

For a moment Caleb weighed his options in his mind. The others were counting on him to find something but they were also looking themselves. Fjord was charming people with Jester. Molly was probably acting as a distraction. Nott was... somewhere. Caleb had seen her slink off but that was an hour ago. He wasn't the only one looking.

If he could take a minute to walk the library, scan the books, and then return to the Gentleman's business none of the others would be the wiser. It was unlikely this noble had any decent books on magic anyway but the urge to look, the need was deep in Caleb.

"If our host hasn't declared it off limits, I, uh, am intrigued to see more." He noted the details of the man's robes and his rings, especially the distinct one of the hand. Even though he had a mask on Caleb was certain he could find this man in a crowd if there was a need. Hopefully, this wasn't some ruse.

[burninghands]

No ruse, but Mishal wasn't the safest person to spend any amount of time with either. Caleb simply had the misfortune of being interesting.

"Not if you're with me," he said. "I know the family. The house is much the same as it was when I played here as a child."

All true. Also true was that the family knew Mishal and more importantly, what he was well enough to be afraid of him. He was banking on that fear.

"Mishal el Bane." He offered a hand. His skin was hot to the touch. Not hot enough to scald at the moment, but uncomfortably so. And he didn't have the hands of a noble. The callouses from years of holding a weapon were too obvious. "And you are?"

[selfburn]

"Eodwulf Schmidt," Caleb lied easily, the name rolling of his tongue with no hesitation. "A pleasure."

The name wasn't familiar to him but Caleb filed it away. Perhaps the Gentleman would know of this man and why he was invited here. A family friend wasn't terribly descriptive. Many people here would claim they were friends of the family just for the status it would give them.

Caleb wore gloves hiding the rough callouses and burn scars on his own hands. It also kept him from touching strangers which he never enjoyed. After the handshake he tucked his hands behind his back, fingers woven together to rub against each other. His anxiety was already on the rise.

At least he could hide it.

[burninghands]

"This way, Herr Schmidt," Mishal made an unecessarily grand gesture, and began to walk, expecting Caleb to follow.

"Here we are." The library is huge, and the art is, indeed, beautiful, but the subject matter is very... specific. The paintings depict some of the more dramatic battles of the past; deserts, djinn, dragons, and spellfire. It's like an illustrated history of the nation of Calimshan - the bloodier parts.

Mishal watched Caleb closely for a reaction, unaware that flames were now licking at the ends of his hair.

[selfburn]

"Do you have a favorite?" Caleb asked as he made a token effort to look at the art. It was all fairly dramatic and bloody. Honestly he had a hard time trying to focus on it. He rubbed the tips of his fingers together on his right hand, itchy to touch the leather bound tomes around him.

The art didn't interest Caleb at all. His eyes quickly glanced over it and then he began to glance at the books every chance he got. They weren't much better than the paintings, honestly. It seemed like the Lord of the house enjoyed war history a great deal.

What he wouldn't give for the proper time to read through all these titles and scan all the books to his heart's content. Of course, there was a little voice in the back of his mind wondering what Mishal got out of this. It was drowned out by the joy and pleasure he got from books. Simply being around them was enough to lift his spirits.

[burninghands]

"I do actually," Mishal replied. "To your left, above the mantel."

The painting in question was huge and depicted battle between two otherworldly creatures that towered over the desert sand. A powerful djinn a furious efreeti lord engaged in combat. A battle between fire and air of great proportions. The scale and the vivid colors made it an arresting image.

"It scared me as a child," he admitted mildly. "I've since come to terms with my ancestry."

[selfburn]

Caleb looked up and paused a moment to look over the painting. A battle between elementals could be a dangerous thing, wild magic tearing apart innocent lives and destroying the land for miles around the battle site. The painting was nice, he supposed, but he much preferred his magic controlled.

"It does draw the eye." Caleb really wished he could make Mishal leave without it being suspicious. He was half tempted to make a suggestion but he didn't have honey on him and if he was caught casting it would lead to problems. "Well, thank you for showing me it."

He could make some excuse that he needed to return to the party but he wanted time with the books. If he could just glance through a few of them he might find something useful. "I hope I haven't pulled you away from something..."